


Volume 1: Hashibira's Legacy

by Izanagi



Series: Shadow Of Ashura [1]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amoral Protagonist, Angst, Dark Jedi Knight, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:07:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28907562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Izanagi/pseuds/Izanagi
Summary: In the furthest unexplored realms of the Unknown Regions, a civilization of people that have remained isolated from galatic affairs for several millenia make themselves known. Just when the galaxy seems fated to enter another dark era under the rule of the Eternal Empire, the power of an ancient lineage awakens and shakes the core of the galaxy.
Series: Shadow Of Ashura [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2120082





	Volume 1: Hashibira's Legacy

**Somewhere deep within the Unknown Regions**

"Murasaki-sama!"

The clan elder collapsed on the tatami, eyes wide and breaths shallow as a torrent of emotion coursed through her wiry figure. With an unsteady breath, she gazes up at her retainer but the vicious rawness of the vision still took its toll. Echoes of the vision flashed before her eyes again and she recoiled against the phantom scent of decaying organic matter and the horrifying stench of blood. Shrieks and howls of a collective body of people echoed throughout the vision, drowned out by the furious roar produced by rivers of blood.

A pulse of mortal dread flashed through her again when she sees the distant figure perched atop the mound of slashed bodies. Shadows obscured their face but there was no denying the demonic aura the figure exuded. The infamous cursed katana of their bloodline caught the glint of light and she tremored in fear. The silhouette of a legendary serpent of gargantuan proportions hovered in the crimson-stained skies above the figure.

A serpent of seven-heads.

 _Orochi_.

The remnants of the vision vanished and bled away from her eyes, returning to reality once more.

"Murasaki-sama! Are you alright?"

She gazed up shakily again at the young man before her, kneeling down to put his hands on her arms. "Impossible," she gasped.

The young retainer frowned in concern. "Murasaki-sama."

The sheer terror he saw in her eyes stopped his heart. "History is fated to repeat itself."

He swallowed, brows creasing. "Fated to repeat itself? Murasaki-sama, what do you mean?"

"The blood of our founder still lives on," she gasped. His eyes widened in surprise. "The last heir to the bloodline still lives. Even after all these years. And he will return to reclaim his blood right."

"Hashibira?" he croaked. "Murasaki-sama, the main line was destroyed decades ago. H-how could this be?"

The clan elder shook her head, the look of fear frozen in her eyes. "I do not know."

She gazed up at him, and the sudden emptiness he found within struck his core. "The horrors of our ancestor's days will return, Oda-san. And we are powerless to stop it. This one will return and fulfill the last will of our ancestor."

The young retainer leaned back and swallowed the fear pooling in his gut. "I heard . . . the stories. But, I thought . . . I thought they were just tales. Stories told to keep the children well behaved."

Murasaki shook her head slowly, still dazed. "No. The legends surrounding our clan, are all true, Oda-san."

He swallowed. "Then, that means --"

The clan elder nodded grimly. "The dreaded power of our bloodline resurfaces once again, after centuries of dormancy. Not all are chosen by Ashura. But the few that are chosen... have carved out their places in legend, often by the path of blood and vengeance."

Murasaki continued. "They . . . they called them _Orochi_ in the olden days. So great was their power they laid waste to planets. In the days of our founder, only three were known to be chosen per generation. But there hasn't been an heir in the last fifty years. And now, with the vision I received from the spirits? Our fate is sealed."

Oda stiffened in anger. "We swore our loyalty to the Mugen. To the nation above all else. If he steps a foot inside the clan compound, I will defend our clan to my last breath."

"Takemi, there is nothing you can do to stop it. You know the nature of my gift. All of my visions have come to pass, in one form or another," Murasaki said gently. "You know the state of our clan. I am not foolish enough to stand in the way of destiny. I know that some still secretly harbor dreams to return our clan to the height of its power."

"All the more to purge them before they harm our clan's reputation and standing," Oda growled. "It wasn't easy, recovering --"

Murasaki laid a hand on his arm and he silenced himself. "Then how are we better than the scourges of our family's history? Did we all not set out to change our clan's image?"

Oda looked away in shame. "I wished it didn't turn out this way."

"And yet this is the burden we carry," she said gently, having recovered her composure. "Despite the horrific vision shown to me, I inherently believe in the goodness of people. We must not be hasty in making judgements."

"Inform the rest of the elders. We will discuss all of this as a clan, as a family. We will decide the course of our future as a clan. And plan for the eventual return of Hashibira's heir."

* * *

Deep within an ancient room of the clan's ancestral home estate, the cursed nodachi of Hashibira stirred from a deep slumber spanning several millenia. Possessing a certain level of sentience and awareness far surpassing any blade of its time, it awakens from its slumber with a vile shriek through the Force. Unencumbered by several millenia of dormancy, it pulses with a faint, but growing, sense of purpose and vitality.

Unchained from the protective seals cast upon it by its former wielder before death, it seeks the last inheritor of its master's will.

* * *

_"Miyamoto-sama, we found him."_

_"How is he?"_

_"Alive now but unconscious. A little too late, and he would've perished from the carbonite poisoning."_

_"Then we have Koga-san to thank for that. That antidote was not easy to procure, nor was it easy to repel the mind attacks on him."_

_"Miyamoto-san, is the exit route secured?"_

_"Yes. Bring him back safely. And make haste. Kill anyone that stands in your way."_

* * *


End file.
